Tube frame



C. LEA.

TUBE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED 0509,1913. RENEWED MAR. 11.1913.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Iazvevtio 1' CZzarzes Iea/ 940. M WW4 wL-g.

c LEA.

TUBE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-531N113. RENEWED MAR-11.1918.

a J d w m a P 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

U u H- W [a T n u lizveraioi div/arias Lew UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LEA, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN WARP DRAWING MACHINE COMPANY, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TUBE-FRAME.

Application filed December 9, 1913 Serial No. 805,633.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES LEA, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Tube-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This application forms a continuation and renewal of my application for patent for improvement in tube frames, filed December 9, 1913, and bearing Serial No. 805633. The present invention relates to tube frames such as are used in weaving AX- minster carpets or other pile fabric, and which embrace in general, a rigid longitudinal carrier structure which forms so to speak, the backbone of the tube frame for the purpose of carrying the rotatable yarn spool and also for forming a rigid support for the tuft tube-members, which control and guide the delivery'of the yarn tufts to the fabric in the weaving operation.

In a co-pending application filed by me I have described and claimed the general principle of construction and arrangement for the tube frame characterized by the combination of a rigid carrier-structure adapted to operatively support the yarn spool with a series of transversely disposed parallel yarnguiding tube-members operatively positioned and uniformly spaced along said carrierstructure by quick-detachable engagement therewith, whereby individual tube-members are fully exposed to inspection and for convenient threading of the yarn, while at the same time they are capable of instant replacement individually.

The present invention may be regarded as a further modification or application of the principle of construction therein disclosed, and is characterized by the use of a positive looking or clamping member operatively engaging the tube-members whereby the tubemembers are firmly and positively clamped to the carrier member in proper spaced relationship to each other and to the yarn spool and in such manner as to attain the advantage of accurate positioning and complete accessibility for both threading and inspection purposes.

Other features of the invention embrace the novel construction by which the spool carrying and tube frame supporting brackets are secured to the main carrier-structure so Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed March 11, 1918. Serial No. 221,865.

as to form a firm and reliable connection therewith.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a spool frame or tube frame em-' bodying the principles of this invention, at i the same time illustrating a few of the modifications of details that may be made in the practice of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the complete tube frame structure in assembled relationship.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the frame with the spool and tuft tubes omitted.

Figs. 8, 4E, and 5 are cross sectional views through the carrier-structure showing different forms of the carrier structure with individual tuft tubes locked or secured thereto.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the carrier-structure showing a pair of adjacent tuft tubes locked thereto.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of an individual tuft tube detached.

Figs. 8 and 9 are end views of an individual tuft tube viewed respectively from opposite ends.

Fig. 10 is a cross section through a tuft tube member or element, comprising a group of tuft tubes having a common attaching member.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the form shown in Fig. 10.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 show different forms of the main carrier-member.

, In the practice of this invention according to the form illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings and other explanatory figures, I provide a longitudinal carrier member which is preferably made in the form of a tubular bar of any suitable cross sectional shape which is provided with a series of transverse slots or apertures a accurately spaced to receive and position the interlocking portions of the tube-members 7).

This tubular construction of the main carrier-member amakes possible a strong and reliable means of detaching the brackets c which in conjunction with the main carrier a form a supporting frame by which the thread spool is rotatably carried in juxtaposition to the carrier to permitv the yarn ends wound thereon to pass through the tuft tubes or guides by which the tufts are positioned and delivered properly with warp Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

threads. The brackets e are formed with retaining jaws or lugs e projecting laterally so as to form a telescoping engagement with the end of the carrier a and each of said lugs is secured to the carrier b means of fastening screws (2 This end 0 the bracket therefore is firmly interlocked and securely held in engagement with the carrier-member a in such a manner that there can be no torsional or swinging movement, while at the same time the brackets are easily detached from the carrier.

The tube-members b are preferably made of sheet metal stamped and drawn to form a thin fiat tubular guide or passage 1) through which the yarn tufts are passed, each tube being formed adjacent to its intake or threading end with parallel tongues or lips b slightly spaced apart. and extending in planes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carrier-structure in order to enter the spacing or positioning slots 01. ac cording to forms illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive. These positioning tongues b are made of a shape conforming to the requirements of the particular carrier-structure with which they are to be used.

The transverse slots with which the carrier-structure is provided, constitute an absolutely uniform and reliable means for the correct spacing or positioning of the tubemembers and are preferably as shown, of a width to admit the two adjacent lips or tongues of adjacent tube-members and in this way afford a simple and convenient means of retaining the individual tube-members against lateral displacement when the parts are properly assembled.

The positive locking or clamping member should be arranged so as not to hinder easy access to the rear or intake ends of the tubemembers to permit the easy insertion of the yarn ends constituting the individual tufts. In forms like those illustrated in the drawings where the main carrier bar is of hollow or tubular construction, this locking or clamping member may be in the form of a longitudinal rod or bar 0 adapted to be slid lengthwise inside of the carrier bar a in contact with the inside face of the slotted side of the bar, the lips or tongues b which are in effect rearward extensions of the side walls of the tube, being formed with alining or registering perforations through which the clamping bar 0 is passed when they have been properly assembled on the carrier bar.

These extensions or tongues b may also be notched or recessed at their adjacent comers as shown at b in order to bear against the adjacent edges of the carrier bar so as to secure absolutely accurate positioning and locking of the tube-members to the carrier structure.

Obviously the clamping bar as well as the main carrier bar may have any suitable contour or cross sectional form, for example in Figs. 3 and -l the clamping bar 0' has a substantially half-round form, while in Fig. 5 the bar is cylindrical. In Figs. 3 and 5 the main carrier bar is approximately rectangular in cross section, while in Fig. l the carrier bar has the form of a cylindrical tubing.

In Figs. 10 to 12 I have shown the tubemembers in multiple units instead of in single units. In such case a series of individual tubes (1 are permanently secured to a (ommon holding member 05 provided with offset parallel lips or wings (1 similar to the lips or wings b if used on the same style of carrier bar which are adapted to be inserted in the transverse holding and spacing slots (1 of the carrier bar. In this case the carrier bar need be rovided only with a sufficient number of sots properly spaced apart to receive these wings of the common holding members. As shown in Fig. 12 these slots (1, except the extreme end ones, are made of a width to receive the two adjacent wings of two adjacent tube-members.

This principle of construction it will be seen, not only provides a rigid CELPI'lBIfiEl'IlL' ture to which the individual tube-members are clamped or locked by engagement with the two cooperating clamping or holding members in position to be readily inspected and conveniently threaded with the tuft yarns, but also permits the individual tubemembers to be so dimensioned and proportioned that when assembled in o erative position the tube-members themse ves afford, through the lateral contact of their side walls with each other, mutual reinforcement and support, as well as accurate and uniform spacing, the individual tube-members being made of thin sheet metal and of uniform width accordin to the number of individual tubes which it 1s desired to arrange to each inch of the length of the carrier-structure. The parallelism of the side walls for a distance adjacent to the rear or intake ends of the tubes in connection with the plane surface contact which this arrangement permits between the adjacent sides of adjacent tubemembers, of itself alone insures absolutely. accurate spacing and positioning of the tubegnembers on the exterior face of the carrier What I claim is:

1. An Axminster tube frame for the control of tuft yarns in weaving, embracing in its construction a rigid longitudinal carrier member adapted to form a support for the yarn-supplying spool, a cooperating tube-clamping member detachably secured to said carrier member in position to firmly clamp interposed portions of the tube-members against said carrier member, and a series of tube-members disposed in parallel arrangement transversely of said carrier memher, said tube-members being formed at their rear or intake ends to be firmly but detachably engaged with said carrier member by said clamping member, substantially as described.

2. An Axminster tube frame for the control of tuft yarns in weaving, embracing in its construction. a rigid carrier-structure adapted to support a yarn-supplying spool, a series of exteriorly arranged and uniformly spaced yarn tubeanembers, exteriorly arranged and uniformly spaced upon said carrier-structure, and a clamping bar adapted to be rigidly but detachably connected with said carrier-structure in posi tion to clamp the tube-members detachably in operative position eXteriorly of said carrier-structure.

3. An Axminster tube frame for the control of tuft yarns in weaving, embracing in combination a rigid longitudinal carrier member, a cooperatin tube-clamping member rigidly but detac ably secured to said carrier member, one of said members being provided with a series of parallel receiving and positioning slots, a series of parallel tube-members disposed transversely of the carrier member in engagement with said positioning slots, said tube-members being rigidly and detachably held upon said carrier member by said clamping member.

4. In a tube frame the combination of a longitudinal carrier-structure embracing two cooperating clamping members rigidly but detachably secured together, one of said members being provided with a series of transverse positioning slots, a series of tubemembers having positioning engagement with the slots in the carrier-structure, said tube-members being detachably but firmly secured to said carrier-structure when properly engaged with said positioning slots by the clamping connection of the two longitudinal members of the carrier-structure so as to expose the rear or intake ends of said tubes to unobstructed access by the operator for the purpose of threading the yarn through the tubes.

5. A tube frame for the control of tuft yarns for weaving, comprising a rigid carrier bar whose outer portion along the length of the bar is provided with transverse slots in regularly spaced sequence to receive and hold the tube-members, a series of interchangeable tube-members formed to engage said slots, said tube-members being constructed with a cooperative locking 7 formation adapting them to be rigidly but detachably locked to said carrier bar, and a locking device arranged to lock the tubemembers to said carrier bar when they are arranged in said slots, said locking member extending longitudinally of the carrier bar, and transversely of the tube-members,

and being disposed below the line of passage of the yarn through the tube-members, whereby the tube bodies and their inlet and outlet ends are maintained in readily accessible position exterior to the carrier bar.

6. In a tube frame the combination of a carrier-structure embracing two longitudinal members adapted to be readily clamped together, one of which is provided with a series of tube-engaging positioning openings, a series of tube-members constructed to be clamped side by side against the eX terior face of one of said carrier members, each individual tube-member being formed with a pair of positioning lips spaced apart and lying in planes transverse to the carrier-structure, and in position to enter the spacing openings, whereby the tube-members may be firmly but detachably secured to said carrier-structure. v

7. In an l-ixminster tube-frame the combination with a rotatable spool of a carrier bar, and means rigidly secured thereto to support said spool in juxtaposition to said carrier bar, said carrier bar being provided with a series of narrow transverse spacing and supporting slots, a series of tuft tubes having wings projecting at their rear or intake ends to pass into said slots, and a looking member carried by the carrier bar to engage and detachably hold said projecting wings firmly seated in their respective slots, substantially as described.

8. In a Axminstertube-frame the combination of a rigid carrier bar provided with narrow parallel transverse slots, tuft guiding tubes formed with projecting positioning members adapted to be inserted in said slots, and a common fastening member for engaging and detachably locking said tuft tubes firmly to the bar, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a slotted carrier bar, guide tubes provided with projectingwings adapted to be inserted in said slots for spacing and holding the tubes in operative relationship, a locking rod of eccentric cross-section formed to be inserted through said wings and to be rotated for the purpose of setting the tubes firmly into operative position, substantially as described.

10. In an Axminster tube frame the 001m 11. A tuft tube for an Axminster tube, frame adapted to be locked to a carrier bar comprising a tubular guide portion and an ofi-set holding member formed with an orifice arran ed to receive a locking member, substantial as described.

12. A tu tube adapted to be locked to an Axminster tube frame, embracing in its construction a tubular guide portion and two laterally extended supporting wings arranged side by side, said wings being formed with shoulders on their opposite edges to engage corresponding portlons of the carrier bar and having also perforations for the insertion of a locking member, substantially as described.

13. A supporting frame for a tuft spool and its cooperating tuft tubes, embracing a longitudinal tubular bar, spool-supporting brackets rigidly secured thereto, said spoolsupporting brackets each being provided with a pan of ofi'set retaining lugs projecting side by side from the arm and spaced apart to fit inside the open end of the tubular bar, and means for securing said lugs firmly to the bar when so inserted, substantially as described.

14. A supporting frame for a tuft spool and its tuft tubes comprising a longitudinal hollow bar, and a pair of angularly disposed spool-supporting arms provided with laterally pro1ecting holding members adapted to fit inside the ends of the tubular bar, and retaining screws passed transversely through the end portions of the bar into holding engagement with said supporting members, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

CHARLES LEA. In the presence of- ARTHUR F. RANDALL, Gno. N. GODDARD. 

